Box 2.2. The energy sector and indigenous minoritiesof the <strong>Russia</strong>n NorthCurrent status of indigenousminorities in the <strong>Russia</strong>n NorthLarge energy facilities which are alreadyoperating, under construction, or planned in northern<strong>Russia</strong>, Siberia and the <strong>Russia</strong>n Far East are mostlylocated in areas, where small, indigenous minoritiesare engaged in traditional natural resource use. Theenergy projects affect these minorities and theirenvironment.In its report, ‘Legal Support for EthnologicalAudits as a Compulsory Condition for Development ofNorthern Territories’, issued for parliamentary hearingsin the Federation Council, the Council’s Committee forNorthern Territories and Indigenous Minorities haspublished the following conclusions of the FederalReal Estate Cadaster: “Since the 1930s the structure ofnatural resource use and concepts for development ofnorthern territories have prioritized industrialdevelopment at the expense of traditional sectors,leading to pollution and environmental degradationover vast areas, causing disturbance and loss of themost valuable grazing and agricultural land ...Reindeer pastures have been particularly badlydamaged … the ecological situation has beendestabilized due to stress exerted by industrialfacilities on reindeer pastures and hunting areas,amounting to as much as 40% of the territory wheretraditional natural resource use is practised.”Industrial development of the North, Siberiaand the Far East has done much to change the localdemographic situation, and experts are concernedabout the current socio-economic and demographicstatus of native minorities.These areas are inhabited by over 250,000people representing 40 indigenous minorities, whichare listed in the official register of indigenous smallnumberedpeoples of the North, Siberia and the FarEast. Criteria for inclusion in the register are adherenceto a traditional way of life and total ethnos size under50,000 people.<strong>Russia</strong>’s northern territories, particularlyrural areas, are also inhabited by descendants oflarger Slavic and non-Slavic peoples, which havetraditionally lived here, including the Komi, theKarels, Yakuts, Pomors and half-blood descendantsof the first <strong>Russia</strong>ns, who came to these regions andhave been living there now for over 300 years.These small nations and population groups are notregistered as indigenous minorities, but in mostcases they have a similar way of life and dependfully on the local environment, making their livingfrom hunting, fishing, gathering and cultivation.Ethnographers estimate their total number ataround one million people.More than 75% of these peoples live in ruralareas, and those who are in towns and cities maintainclose ties with their families in the countryside,supplementing their incomes by traditional seasonalactivities (hunting, fishing and gathering) in theirplaces of origin. Around half of the population ofnorthern territories breeds reindeer.The way of life is self-supporting and relies onuse of traditional natural resources. Unemploymentamong indigenous peoples rose by 8 times in the lastdecade of the 20 th century compared with 3.5 times in<strong>Russia</strong> as a whole, and cash incomes are 2-3 timeslower than the national average. The number of birthsin 2002 was only 69% of the 1995 level, while themortality rate had risen by 35.5%. Average lifeexpectancy of males among native minorities is 10-20years lower than the national average at 45 years. Theepidemiological and public health situation in theseareas has significantly worsened, and tuberculosis andalcohol addiction rates are much higher than thenational average.The share of deaths from external causes(accidents, suicides, murders) is very high amongnorthern peoples: in 1998–2001 it was 37%,compared with the <strong>Russia</strong>n national average of 14%and much lower figures in developed countries(under 8% in Finland in the same period, 6% in theUS in 1998, and even lower in other Europeancountries). Current birth and mortality rates placeindigenous minorities in a particularly high-riskgroup, and serious damage to the environments, onwhich they rely for their livelihood, could lead totheir complete disappearance 1 .1D.D.Bogoyavlenskiy. Are the minorities of the North dying out?//Social studies, 2005, 8, pp.55-61. D.D. Bogoyavlenskiy. 2008http://www.npa-arctic.ru /Documents /conferences/climat_19052008 /Presentations /19.05.08 /bogoyavlensky.pdf48National Human Development <strong>Report</strong> in the <strong>Russia</strong>n Federation 2009
Legislative control of impact auditsfor energy projects affectingtraditional human habitatand habitat and way of life<strong>Russia</strong>n federal laws do not containprecise standards for assessing the impact ofindustrial projects on the traditional habitat andway of life of local minorities, or for compensatingdamage. The Federal Law, ‘On guarantees of therights of indigenous small-numbered peoples ofthe <strong>Russia</strong>n Federation’ (Article 1) introduces thenotion of ‘ethnological expert assessment’, whichis defined as ‘assessment of the impact of changesin the natural habitat and socio-culturalenvironment of indigenous minorities on theirethnic development’. The same law, as well assome other <strong>Russia</strong>n laws, gives indigenousminorities the right to take part in decisionmakingon issues concerning protection of theirnatural habitats and traditional way of life, as wellas indemnification of losses incurred by them as aresult of damage to their natural habitat (Article 8of the abovementioned law). Theoretically, this isa good foundation for resolving the problem, butin reality, since local populations have no legalownership rights to the land where they live, hunt,fish or breed reindeer, companies do not considerthemselves obliged to obtain the approval of localinhabitants before proceeding with developmentprojects. There is also an absence of statedprocedures for conducting an ‘ethnological expertassessment’, assessment of specific damage tohabitat and people who live by it, andmechanisms for use of any compensation.At the regional level, only 5 out of 27northern administrative regions with their ownindigenous peoples have local laws that obligeindustrial companies to negotiate withrepresentatives of these peoples and obtain theirapprovals (Nenets, Yamal-Nenets and Khanty-MansiAutonomous Districts, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)and Sakhalin Region). In practice, lack of appropriatelaws at federal level means that industrialcorporations can challenge these regionalprovisions or dictate their own conditions. It is muchsimpler for large corporations to pay specifiedamounts of money to regional and localgovernments, or, in some cases, to make paymentsto organizations that represent indigenousminorities, than to negotiate and seek specificagreements with those peoples. Companies try toavoid active cooperation with native peoples onissues such as joint environmental monitoring ofprojects, joint resource management, designverification, and training and employment of localinhabitants.Positive instances of energy companiescooperating with indigenous minority organizationshave been the exception rather than the rule to date.Example are: agreements on social and economicassistance to communities and reindeer farms in theNenets and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Districts(made by the companies Northern Lights, LukoilKomi, LUKoil Western Siberia); a tripartite agreementon cooperation between the administration ofYamal-Nenets Autonomous District, the indigenousminority organization ‘Yamal – for our Descendants!’and the companies Gazprom, NOVATEK, Rosneft,Lukoil, TNK-BP; organization of the firstenvironmental council in Yamal District; andimplementation since 2006 of the Programme forAssistance to Indigenous Minorities in SakhalinRegion by representatives of local indigenousminorities together with Sakhalin Energy and theadministration of Sakhalin Region. However, all ofthese initiatives have been put together by regionaladministrations, companies themselves andindigenous minority organizations, without federalgovernment coordination. The same companies,which participate in these programmes, take acompletely different stance in regions whereregional government and minority organizations donot have a strong voice 2 .The issue of legitimate interaction betweeninitiators of energy projects and local populationsshould be resolved at federal government level.Leadership from federal government is essential if2O.A. Murashko (compilation). Environmental co-management of resource companies, local administrations and indigenous minorities,M. 200949
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enhancement is also important. Ener
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energy efficiency of the transport
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Box 5.1. Programme of the Ministry
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educational and informational suppo
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mechanism for using national quota
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Figure 6.2Share of electricity gene
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One of the major benefits of renewa
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odies; outdoor air; rocks and soil;
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Design and construction of geotherm
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Box 6.3. Prospects for nuclear powe
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consists of out-dated equipment at
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ConclusionThe world’s nuclear pow
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7.1. Impact of the fuel& energy sec
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Table 7.5Solid waste from productio
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Table 7.7Areas of disturbed and rec
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nature of the impact (atmospheric e
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Further, the economic cost ofenviro
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trends continued the damage would a
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What the government needs to do ino
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Figure 7.2.1Specific atmospheric em
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money value of industrial output) c
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Figure 7.2.4Trends in specific atmo
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Chapter 8The Energy Industry and Su
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eing equal) it only reflects that p
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(MDGs), issued by the UN in 2000. T
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Canada, the USA and Great Britain h
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Box 8.2. Energy efficiencyindicator
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41 Penza Region 116.0 -35.2 -4.542
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Appendix to Chapter 1Table 1.1. GDP
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Attachment to Chapter 4Table 4.1Rus
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Attachment to Chapter 4Volga Federa
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Attachment to Chapter 4Belovo Belov
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The previous National Human Develop